528 pages
English language
Published April 3, 2003 by Penguin Books Ltd.
Berlin: The Downfall 1945 (also known as The Fall of Berlin 1945 in the US) is a narrative history by Antony Beevor of the Battle of Berlin during World War II. It was published by Viking Press in 2002, then later by Penguin Books in 2003. The book achieved both critical and commercial success. It has been a number-one best seller in seven countries apart from Britain, and in the top five in another nine countries. Together this book and Beevor's Stalingrad, first published in 1998, have sold nearly three million copies.
Picked this up in a fleeting visit to the local library. First ww2 novel I’ve read focused on the German/Russian conflict packed with lots of detail on both sides. Enjoyed it. Well written without becoming a slog though took a while to get through.
A vivid account of the Red Army's attack on Germany and victory in Berlin - told from Soviet and German accounts of senior staff, soldiers and civilians.
A very compelling read. Just two small gripes:
- with so many personnel to keep track of it would have been nice to have a glossary of the main characters.
- the maps sometimes didn't include the places that were being referred to in the text.
